Manufacture of pails



(No Model.) H. FAIRBANKS.

MANUFACTURE OF FAILS, &c., FROM PAPER PULP;

Patented Jan.

N. PEYERS. vhuxbumo n hu.Washington. D10,

PATENT FFICTEQ HENRY FAIRBANKS, OF ST. .IOllNSBI RY, VERMONT.

MANUFACTURE OF PAILS, 840., FROM PAPER-PU LP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 396,198, dated January 15, 1889.

Application filed June 1, 1887. Serial No. 239843. (No model.) i

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, .I-IENRY FAIRBANKS, of St. Johnsbury, Caledonia county, in the State of Vermont, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of Pails and Analogous Vessels from Paper- Pulp, of which the following is a specification.

I have discovered that torn edges of partially-manufactured articles of pulp, preferably that made from wood, may be strongly and neatly united by applying together and filling the interstices with fresh pulp and hardening the whole. I have devised mechanism for acting in this manner on previously-treated material and producing the required pails or other articles with great strength and uniformity. I have discovered that steam may be applied to such material, so to greatly expedite the expulsion of the water from the pulp and the drying and completion of the article.

The following is a description of what I consider the best means of carrying out the invention.

Figure 1 is an end elevation, Fig. 2 a side elevation, and Fig. a plan view, showing the apparatus for producing the hollow frustums of cones of pulp. Fig. 4c is a plan view showing an additional feature of the apparatus which is used at a certain stage of the operation; and Fig. 5 is a verticalsection through the hydraulic press and accompanying parts which are used to complete the manufacture.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts in all the figures where they occur.

A is a tank containing pulp in the proper thin condition for ordinary treatment.

13 is a conical roller having a surface of wire-gauze properly supported 011 the inside to bear a moderate pressure. It is mounted on an inclined shaft, 1), by which it slowly turned by friction. The shaft is hollow and allows the easy escape of the water from the pulp as it comes in through the gauze, and thus insures the rapid formation of a continuous layer of pulp in a tolerably dense but soft condition on the exterior surface of ll as it rises into contact with the roller above.

C is the roller above. It may be larger or smaller than I but should be similarly tapered and connected by links 0 to uprights A on the tank A, so as to rest its weight gently and evenly on B. The roller 0 is covered with felt and is of such a nature that the soft pulp, after passing through the line of contact between C and l-Ladheres to O and is carried up by the revolution of the latter.

I) is a conical roll, which is peculiarly mounted and performs important functions. It is fixed on a shaft,d, which is supported in a single long bearing in a swiveling-head, G, on an upright shaft, G, supported in fixed bearings A at the side of the tank A. hen the shaft G is turned in one direction, the roller D is brought into contact with the roller 0, and when it is turned in the other direction the roller D is moved away therefrom and turns in mid-air, so as to allow any treatment desired to the pulp which has been accumulated on its surface. The roller D is of such material or so surfaced that the soft layer of pulp carried around on 0 tends to leave 0 and adhere to D so soon as they are brought into forcible contact.

I propose usually to employ iron for the main body of D, with a close-fitting cover, D, of glazed hard cloth. However this may be, so soon as one layer has been appliedupon D and allowed to remain, the succeeding revolutions present a surface of pulp simply. There is little difficulty in insuring that the soft coating of pulp will be continuously transferred from'B to C and from C to D, and will be accumulated in successive layers on the latter until the proper quantity for the main body of a pail, or whatever the article may be, is obtained upon D.

II is a rotary cutter with a zigzag edge. It is mounted on a shaft, 71, which may be held in the hands of the attendant, or may be supported in movable bearings to allow the motions required. After the roller D, with its removable cover D, has accumulated successive layers of pulp to a proper thickness, it is swung away from its contact with C and is revolved independently. In this condition the zigzag edge of II is brought into contact with the cone of pulp near the small end and allowed to travel. once around, correspondingly marking and partially cutting a zigzag line around the cone. I prefer that the cutting-edge be not so sharp as to cut the cloth under the pulp, or even to actually cut the individual short fibers of the pulp but only to weaken a proper line, so that it will afterward easily tear along that sharply-waved line.

Next the cloth covering of the roller D is liberated, and, if necessary, drawn-with force from the large toward the small end, and taken off completely from the roller and eollapsed and removed from the hollow cone of pulp and. again applied to the rolls, and the operation repeatedtillat is to say, the roller 1) with its fresh empty covering 1), is again brought into eontaet with the roller U, the rollers ii and (l are again started, they having been stopped while the previous pail was being cut and removed, and the next cone is wound and removed, and so on indefinitely, means being employed to nuiintain the stock of pulp in the tank A at about the same level and consistency,-and to properly care for the soft and only partially formed cones thus produced.

The pointed extensions at the small end of the cone of pulphave now to be benttogether and united to form a strong bottom. To effeet this the cone of pulp is drawn carefully down upon a tapering former, .l, mounted smallend up and eovered with line wire-gauze at the upper end supported by strong eross bars, as will be readily understood, and the tapering laps split into layers and softened by water are folded inward, applying their torn edges approximately together. This pail.- i'ormer J, with its ('lrain-pipej, is mounted upon the plunger I of ah ydraulie press. A removable piece, K, which I will sometimes term a eylinder, having its upper end eylindrieal and its lower end tapered to match the exterior of the pail, is next applied over the pulp-cone and tightly pressed down thereon. Now liquid pulp is pcuired into ii. in a previously-determinet'l, quantity. The hydraulie fjs worked to raise I.

"ii is a stout box of eylimlrical form supported under the eross-pieee of the press and connected by a pipe, ii, and noel: In with a boiler. (Not shown.) Paekin g, l makes a steamtight joint with the interior of K when the latter is raised. The lowerside of L is perforated throughout and its edge is rabl )eted, as indicated. Its lower face may be covered with wire-gauze. The cylinder K is applied while I and its pail-former .l are down. The thin pulp is introdueed into K while down, and after the points in the bottom edge of the pulp-cone have been completely bent inward the press is worked to raiseIand itsload into the position shown, where it is held firmly upon the dogs 0. Now steam is admitted through L If and pressing on the upper sur face of the fluid pulp forces the wat er down through the perforated bottom of L. Ultimately steam flows down through the fluid and hardening pulp into what; is to be the bot tom of the pail. The steam soon drives down or evztporates imarly all the water remaining in the pulp, but before this is too far advanced, and while the pulp is in a just sufiieiently plastic condition, the steam aidin to make it more plastic, the press I I is worked to raise J up into strong contact with the bottom of L. The strong and nearly uniform pressure exerted flattens and hardens the pulp, and the rabbet around the edge of the bottom of L molds a rim eorrespomling to and forming the ehiue. The steam flows down through the condensed layer of pulp and com pletely dries it. Now, on operating the press to lower I, some steam-pressure ctmtinuing, the etme-eylimler K is left suspended on the lmok-dogr P and thepail-former .l on emerging below brin with it a pail not only eompletely mohiledbut ahnost dry. This is lifted off, and the pail-former .l is then ready to reeeive another pulp-eone and again to receive the eylimlerli and a fresh qutintity of fluid pulp, and the entire round of operatioi'ls is repeated.

The provisions for o )erating the press I I and for driving the several rollers may be of any ordinary kind and need not be specifieally deseribed. It is important to stop the revolutions of i3 and so soon as the swinging of the roller I) bythe partial revolution of (:l shall carry itont of contact and it shall consequently cease to take off the thin layer of pulp from U. The roller 1) is driven by a gtar-wheel, E, whieh reeeives a rotary motion from a constantly-revolving gear-wheel, W, turned by a belt or otherwise by any suitable motive pmver. While the roller 1 is pressed against (l it reeeives motion from E and transmits it by friction to (J, whieh in its turn transmits a eorrespomling motion by friction to ll. So soon as the roller l)ismoved out of eontaet with the same movement takes the teeth of its gearwheel IL out of eontact with \V and all the rollers stop.

I hold the roller l) in yielding but strong eoutact with to allow for iniperl'ections in the workmanship and for the gradually-increasing thickness of the pulp-coating aceunuilated on D. I attain this by means of aspring-lever, l which pivoted to the fixed framing at f, and pressing with strong luityielding foree against the extinided shaft (Z of the roller I), is engaged with a catch or pin, (I, on the framing A. This is disengaged to allow the turning of the shaft G and consequent horizontal. swinging movement of l), and is engaged again to eonuneneo to reeeive the eoatings to form another eone. The lever h may be bent so as to thus serve directly against the shaft (7 but I have shown it as thus acting through the intervention of a bmu'ing box, ill, turning loosely on d and provided with a hook, in, which latter receives the lever h, and prefer so to equip the machine.

I have shown a eoek, Z), on the extension of the hollow shaft 1), whieh. may be closed, if desired, when the lever i is unlatehed and the revolutions of the rollers stopped.

The cook may, if preferred, be eonneeted with an arm extenifling from thevertiez'ii shaft G, so as to be closed by the movement when the roller D is swung out.

iliodilieations may be made in many of the details without departing from the principle or sacrificing the advantages of the invention. I can use a conical shell of sheet metal in place of cloth for the removable covering D of the roller D, taking care to provide for collapsing the metal shell after its removal from I). IVhether cloth or metal be used, I provide a thick rim or frame at the edge which applies on the large end of D to aid in applying the coating or covering with some force. Such, also, may aid somewhat in its removal when filled.

The press I I may be worked by other means than hydraulic pressure.

Sheet metal perforated may be used in place of the removable cloth D.

The article formed may bedried and indurated by the celluloid process or by dipping in hot varnish and baking.

My experiments indicate that when the folded edges of the bottom are by any chance misplaced, so that they are an inch or more apart, the thin pulp flows to the perforated former into those spaces and accumulates where the water escapes most easily, so it builds up there to even thickness.

Parts of the invention can be used without the whole. I can omit the upper set of dogs, P, or even both sets, 0 and P. In such case I can hold up the pail-former J against the pressure of the steam by the continued action of the press I I.

I am aware that dies heated by steam have been used in the manufacture of articles from paper-pulp; but the pulp is likely to stick to the dry heated surface, and I do not claim, broadly,the use of steam. (Parker, ITO. 3+LS,292, dated August 31,1886.) I am also aware that air has been used to press the fluid pulp against a perforated former, or through the sheet of pulp between perforated formers, either exhausting the interior or forcing air into an inclosing-receiver, and I do not claim the apparatus used for these purposes, (IVheeler, No. 190,65l, dated May 8, 1877, and Car- Inichael, No. 342,180, dated MaylS, 1886;) but I have proved by experiment that live steam admitted to press directly on the surface of fluid pulp acts more rapidly, lays the fiber more firmly, and if driven through the sheet of pulp between perforated formers works much better than air, softening and adapting it to be molded as well as leaving it nearly dry.

I claim as my inventiou 1. That improvement in the manufacture of articles from paper-pulp that consists in adn'iitting live steam properly confined to press directly upon the surface of fluid pulp to force the water out, lay the fiber, and keep the semi-solid mass of the partly-formed vessel flexible while the pressing-dies are being brought into action, as herein specified.

2. The method herein described of softening and drying, in connection with shaping, articles of paper-pulp by compressing mechanically between properly-formed perforated dies and also forcing steam from one dieto the other through the article, substantially as herein specified.

3. The within-described method of manufacturing pails and analogous articles of paper-pulp by tearing partially-hardened pulp, applying the torn edges nearly together, flowing thin pulp between and causing it tosaturate and become incorporated with the said edges, and subsequently draining, heating,

' softening, and partially drying by steam and pressing the compound mass, all substantially as herein specified.

4. The bearin A A and vertical shaft G, supported therein, said shaft having the head a, in combination with the shaft (Z, ournaled in said head at approximate rightangles to said vertical shaft G, the conical roll D, mounted on said shaft (Z, with its smaller end remote from said head, the tank A, and rolls for supplying a coating of pulp to said conical roll D, substantially as herein specified.

5. A machine for the manufacture of articles from paper-pulp, comprising the bearings A A and vertical shaft G, supported therein, said shaft having the head 1, in combination with the shaft (Z, journaled in* said head at approximate right angles to said vertical shaft G, the conical roll I), mounted'on said shaft d, with its smaller end remote from said head, the box M, in which-the free end of said shaft (Z is journaled, the hook on upon said box, the tank A, standard A, and pin anpon said tank, lever F, pivoted at 'one end upon said standard and adapted to engage said hook and pin, for the purpose set forth, and rolls for supplying a coating of pulp to said conical roll I), substantiallyas herein specified.

6. In the manufacture of articles from paper-pulp, the pailformer .I, having a finelyperforated top to receive the truncated cone of partially-hardened pulp, in combination with the removable piece K, of which the conical lower part fits over said truncated cone and the cylindrical upper part is adapted to receive a quantity of thin pulp to join the edges and form the bottom, substantially as herein specified.

7. In an apparatus for manufacturing articles from paper-pulp, the combination of the conical former J, having a finely-perforated top, the cylindrical box L, having finely-pen forated bottom, the removable piece K, com prising a conical lower part fitting said former and a cylindrical upper part fitting said box, hooks on said cylinder K, and dogs P for en gaging said hooks and supporting said cylinder in elevated position,for the purpose set forth, and means for forcing said former upward, substantially as herein specified.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand, at St. Johnsbury, Vermont, this 18th day of May, 1887, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY FAIRBANKS.

Vitnesses:

LUoY FAIRBANKS, R. P. FAIRBANKS. 

